"[b]HAHAHAHAHAHA![/b]" [i]The older man couldn't help the hearty burst of laughter that erupted from his chest. The physical force of his laugh pushed him back against the wall, his hands clutching his stomach as the laughter continued. Sliding to the floor, tears of amusement began to well up at the corners of his eyes. The greatsword burned away into millions of flames, dispersing into the wind.[/i] "[b]What'd I tell you, son?! It works every time, without fail![/b]" [i]Slowly, the laughter receded from him as he calmed down, eyes losing focus as his memory overwhelmed him, bringing him back to a far distant past, with long gone family.[/i]

[i]Tara dropped Miles at the sound of the man’s laugh, and turned to him. As he was slumped on the ground, she slammed him in the jaw hard with the buttstock of her rifle. She then went to kick him in the chest, and only after she did it did she realize that doing it without her boots on was a lot more painful. Ignoring the pain for the moment, she went off on him as Miles slunk back into the house.[/i] “Piece of shit... I could’ve shot you... I should still shoot you...” [i]She growled, clearly more than pissed off. The woman was protective of the boy, that was certain.[/i]

[i]The man grunted twice, to each impact, drawn painfully back to the present. He chuckled still as he stood, looming over the two with his massive figure. With a groan, the humor and levity physically drained from his face, leaving behind only experience and the face of one who had no patience for such things as this familial squabble.[/i] "[b]But, would that have saved him?[/b]" [i]The old man inquired, his face a patronizing squint to the woman. His eyes went up to Miles, and he spoke again, the previous friendliness and amicability gone.[/i] "[b]I didn't tell you the whole of my story, or why I [i]stopped[/i] this practice. One evening, when my own foster-sister was particularly livid, she used her usual tactic and locked me out, with my dinner. After fighting off the dogs, escaping with only a few scrapes and bites to my persons, and a lack of dinner, I went about the usual business. "I found a stranger, someone new to the town, and I decided he would be my scapegoat for the night. I made my usual bargain, he agreed, and I paid the man with the gold coin I'd kept in my shoe. As I turned to lead him back to the door, I was struck behind the head, hard. "The man was a thief and a ruffian, having assaulted and even killed numerous people in the sorry excuse of his life, and I had no idea. He stole me away, and demanded ransom, claiming he'd cut a piece of me off for every day the money was not payed.[/b]" [i]Glowering, he patted his legs.[/i] "[b]Now, I am left with seven toes, and a lack a small number of my back teeth. It was a few weeks before they found him, and in the meantime, he'd done to me things I couldn't begin to describe to you. And the entire time, my sister had been going insane. "Blaming herself, she had broken her own spirit, and it was never the same, even after I returned. Our relationship before had been good, the normal relationship between sibling not from the same parentage. After that, though...well, you can guess the bitterness on either side for the other.[/b]" [i]He eyed the two of them in sequence, keeping their gaze to him all the while he told his story.[/i] "[b]That place...it was nowhere near as dangerous as this one. My sister? I loved her, and I lost her, even there. "Do. Not. Make my choices. Here, at Tatakai, division is poison. If you are not insane, you cannot live here alone. You're going to face Hell, and you must face it together, or lose each other and all you hold dear. Family is what is most important, because, in the end?[/b]" [i]The eyes melted, going from cold experience to tender sympathy once more.[/i] "[b]Your family is going to be the only thing that is there when all else fails you, and without it, there is only an abyss of despair so great as to be worse than death.[/b]"

“I was fine once on my own and so was he. Now piss off.” [i]She fired a warning shot past the man’s head, the sound deafening in the rainy, empty street. Miles had seen it all from the doorway where he was currently standing, and an expression of concern had enveloped his face.[/i] “Tara stop! He’s not going to hurt you or me.” [i]He said after she fired.[/i] “Shut up! I’m done with your shit for today and I’m not taking his, parables or otherwise. I’m f*ckin’ done!” [i]Tara shot back sharply. She had a temper. A very familiar temper.[/i]

[i]A sardonic grin crossed his face, and the air around them began to grow humid, the temperature rising rapidly as white fire began to lick at the outline of the stranger. The air grew clouded with mist, the air becoming heavy as more rain evaporated into water vapor.[/i] "[b]Child, if you could survive ever so easily on your own, why did you care when his life was apparently threatened? Why such anger, such fire in you? I don't know who told you you would be safe here with only a rifle and your angry confidence, but they are either ignorant or stupid.[/b]" [i]As fog began to obscure his whole figure, the man swiveled to look to Miles, fixing on this with those fiery blue eyes.[/i] "[b]Young man, if ever you should need shelter, or aid, my doors are as open to you as they are to all. Simply seek the Church on the Mountain, and you'll find me quickly enough. "You need not believe to seek.[/b]" [i]With that, the white outline that had become the only identifier of the man's presence flickered out, and the fog concealed all evidence he'd ever existed in the first place. Cold rain began to fall through, creating streaks of vacant air in the newly formed ground cloud.[/i]